Oracle of Darkness
by Alex-Sthede
Summary: A man ventures into Boletaria. Not only to face the demons in the fog, but the demons inside him as well.
1. Lost Little Lamb

Oracle of Darkness, draw me near!

By: Alexander Sthede

Little Lamb Lost

Chapter One

I approached the thick, seemingly colorless fog with hesitation in my heart. I knew that if I entered the realm of Boletaria, I would never be able to escape. Nobody would miss me, as I had made no friends. My parents had died when I was young, and I had no siblings. I was one man, no, boy, against the darkness. I though back to how I got here, and shuddered.

An old man had stumbled into me in the streets of London, and forced a map into my hands. He said "Ready your blade child, for you shall save the world with it. Follow this map to the place known as Boletaria, and free the poor tormented souls that have gone before ye." I took the scroll, and returned to my lodging in The Count's Arms inn, and examined the 'map'. It appeared to be blank at first, but then I thought "What about soul light?" and extinguished the lantern and candles in the room. I retrieved my Augite of Souls, and held it to the map. Lo and behold, I beheld a map of Europe and directions to Boletaria.

I readied my blade, not some puny long sword, but a claymore, and checked my leather clothing for any tears. Having done this, and having listened to the drunks tell tales of the mysterious fog that hides the demons, I set forth. Not only to face the evils, but to face my fears.

I took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. Taking a slow step forward, into the fog, I felt a force pull me further inward. I readied my sword, and pressed on. I hoped no creature waited in the deep fog. From somewhere, perhaps in my mind, I heard a voice saying "Brave souls, who fears not death. I shall guide you to the Nexus. So that you may lull the Old One back to slumber." Suddenly, there was a bright light, and then I saw a field in front of me. I hefted my claymore up on my shoulder, and walked forward.

There were several odd looking men with broken swords and wooden shields, and all of them attacked me. I remember how it felt to kill them, the feeling of their souls flowing into me. It was odd, but glorious. I also met, and tried to speak with, a few armoured men, but they would not listen. They insisted upon attacking me, so I fought back, their souls, like the men before, flowing from their bodies into mine. I also remember a wall made of fog, and just beyond that, two more men. I killed both, and went up the stairs. Another wall barred my way, but I pushed through. Before me stood a most hideous beast, with the largest axe I'd ever seen. It swung, but I rolled, and I attacked it. The creature, though strong, was no match for me. I'd slain it, and a strange sound filled the room. I turned, and saw a sword sticking out of the ground, and a rock of some sort. Bewildered, I touched it, and felt a magnificent force pull on me. I was in an area filled with the souls of those who'd tried before me to best that beast, and their souls too, flowed into me. Their bodies faded, leaving weapons and herbs behind. I gathered them all, and went to leave, but there was no exit. I heard a screeching roar, the most terrifying I'd heard thus far, and ran. I was too late, as before I'd taken two steps, a rather large lizard had bitten me in two.

Somehow, I was able to hear a call, some quiet, relaxing voice calling me. It said "Soul of the lost, withdrawn from its vessel. Let strength be granted so the world might be mended. Soul of the lost, withdrawn from its vessel. Let strength be granted so the world might be mended, so the world might be mended." There was a burst of light and I saw a large, magnificent chamber. There was a strange floor, upon which I rose. "How? I was killed by a dragon! How am I still alive?" In front of me stood a beautiful woman, with wax over her eyes. She beckoned to me, and said to me "This is the Nexus. It holds together the northern land of Boletaria. Thou can'st not exit the Nexus, but each of the five Archstones will connect thee to another node." She pointed to a stone with a man in front of it, and walked away. I approached it with a mild hesitation, and the man spoke to me. "Well, you slipped through the fissure too, did you? You came for Demon Souls? Or to save this land, and be remembered as a Hero? Bah, it's all the same. You're just another prisoner of the Nexus. We're welcome here as long as we keep slashing up Demons. Hahahahah…" He was insane, as far as I could tell, and I ignored him. I touched the stone behind the man, and felt a rush. I was being pulled again, through the stone, and to another place.

After a moment's darkness, I felt the world around me. A large fire burned in the distance, and a great winged beast was making its way towards the castle in front of me. Looking around, I felt nothing. Quite literally, no feeling beyond the weight of my sword, and the sounds of this place. This castle had been ravaged, almost nothing but dust and broken carriages led up to it. I advanced, and more strange men attacked me. They all fell with one blow from my blade, their souls flowing into me. As I rose through the side passages of the castle, a noise began to grow, not unlike heavy breathing inside a metal mask. I dispatched a few soldiers, not terribly well armed, and I found the source. A man clad in black armour with glowing, blue eyes. Something about him made me believe that he was much stronger than I, but I advanced upon him nonetheless. He charged forward, shield up to protect him, and I stepped aside. He swung his shield at me, but missed, and I took my chance. I swung my claymore at him, and knocked him off his feet. Being honourable, I allowed him to rise before striking again. He lunged at me, sword first this time. I managed to dodge, but narrowly, and he nicked me. I felt no pain, but something felt odd. I swung again, this time not allowing my opponent rise.

After killing him, I looked at myself, and saw that I wasn't bleeding at all. No wound, but somehow, I felt weaker. As though my mortality had been reduced. I advanced through the castle despite my slight worry about my body. After meandering about for a while, I found a lever. Pulling it released some kind of mechanism, and I heard a large metal object strike the pathway that I'd first come up. There were stairs, and I dashed down them. After many a strange man, dreglings, I've decided to call them, I found a corpse. Not unusual beyond the fact that this one was most definitely glowing. I inspected it to find a ring with an eye for a decoration. I slipped it onto my finger, and my body instantly felt as though I was almost corporeal again. Hefting my blade, I pulled a second lever, and stepped out of the tower. I saw a rather large spear stuck in the ground and thought to myself "Oh dear. What could possibly wield that?" I went to examine it to find that the castle gates had opened. Where they were, a large wall of fog now stood. Being that I was here to slay demons, I assumed that one was right in front of me. I entered the fog.


	2. The Demon in the Entry Hall

The Demon in the entry hall

Chapter Two

It looked to me that my assumption had been correct, for I had never seen a beast so foul in my entire life, nor had I even imagined what now oozed before me. A large blob, for it seemed to lack any real form, with a phalanx of shields facing me. Behind these shields were spears, all guarding a white orb floating at what I shall call its head.

Being that it was protected by a phalanx, I decided to call it as such, deeming the name appropriate. Phalanx had dropped sever smaller blobs, each with one shield, and armed with spears. I knew that a frontal assault would never work on these things, so I ran around and smashed them from behind. They went down in one or two strikes, and soon the great center of the beast was left defenseless. I charged forth, and it ran away.

No, I do not make this up, the great 'demon' in this hall was fleeing from me. Me! A lone warrior with but a claymore and leather clothing! I chased it, and every time I could, I slashed at it. After long minutes, and many attempts to corner it, I finally had slain the beast Phalanx. The soul of the beast empowered me, but I knew that what I'd just gained were not the souls of it.

No, what I'd gained were the souls that the foul thing had stolen from the soldiers and dreglings outside. Not far from me, at the other end of the hall from where I'd entered, a stone with a sword in it appeared. I went to touch the soul, but it was protected. Instead, my hand came away with the soul of the beast, floating in it like a little cloud. I forced the thing into my pack, and touched the stone again. The rush of the transport comforted me, and almost said to me "Rest now, weary one. You have done well to come so far, but your trial is far from over." I came from the stone, and the man sitting in front of it said unto me "Well, you've found yourself a Demon's Soul, have you? I'm impressed…yes, indeed I am. Stay the path, and you will soon be a monster yourself! Hahahahahah! Can't you see you've fallen for their trap?"

I simply grunted, and looked at myself. I could smell, and almost taste a great many things. But first I had to speak to the maiden in black. "Welcome Back. The Monumental awaits thee, above. The Monumental will explain the Nexus to thee." She pointed a pale finger at the stairs outside the archstone ring. I could feel the steps beneath my feet, and the calm of the Nexus. At the top of two sets of stairs, I found a balcony. Looking around, I saw several dead children, each with an extinguished candle in front of them. There was but one whose candle remained lit. I approached the child, unsure of how to address it. Was it a boy, or a girl? I couldn't tell. Instead it said to me "Be not confused, child. I am simply a Monumental, neither male, nor female.

We have long await'd you, slayer of Demons. I am one of the Monumentals. We preserve the fabric of reality. There is something thou need'st to know. Once, we too, a scourge of Demons faced. n the distant past. Under a benevolent rule the world was unite'd, owing to the soul arts. Until, a lust for power caus'd the awakening of the Old One. Across the land seep'd a colourless Deep Fog, and the world faced extinction at the hands of the Demons.

Thanks be, we were able to lull the Old One back to Its slumber, yet only after the loss of innumerable souls, and half the world, lost…eras'd by the fog. In order to mend the fabric of what land still remained, we entrusted six elders with six precious Archstones. One to the king of a small yet diligent land, one to the king of the burrowers underground, one to the wise queen of the great ivory tower, one to the chieftain of lost and ill-fortuned souls, one to the shaman of the tempest-worshipping Shadowmen. And the last to the great giants of the Northern Archstones were placed at nodes across the earth. We contain'd the Old One inside this Nexus, and banned the soul arts. Finally, we became Monumentals; half living sentinels of the fabric of reality. Alas, the other Monumentals have perish'd, and only I remain. Now it is your turn. You must lull the Old One back to Its slumber, and seal it away for all eternity. If not, the Deep Fog will absorb all that we know. Have you the strength to accept this mission?" I nodded at it, and closed my eyes. It continued to speak to me, though its voice was so peaceful. "Yes, we are fortunate indeed to have you. Now, go forth, and destroy every last Demon. The Old One, without Demons to feed it souls, will a new servant seek, and lure you to its bosom. We neutralised the Old One, and banned the soul arts. Then we spread the Archstones, and in order to mend reality, Monumentals we became. The Monumentals perished, and the Archstones were long forgotten. And the short-sighted King Allant once again aroused the Old One.

Rest now, slayer of demons, for thou hast a long, and arduous task ahead of you."


	3. Hell is full of miners

Chapter Three

Hell is full of miners.

I awoke to the candle maiden chanting "Soul of the lost, key to life's ether, let strength be granted so the world might be mended." Looking around I saw the Nexus, and the crazy man at the archstones. Hefting myself up, I grabbed my sword, and advanced to the stones. Ignoring the man's mutterings, I touched the stone one flight up from the castle's stone.

The rush filled me, and whisked me off to a large, somewhat dingy area. It looked to be a mine, from what I could tell. I crossed the bridge leading to the mine's workhouse, when out of nowhere, massive rocks were thrown at my head. I'd managed to step back, but the impact of the rocks had shaken the bridge, loosening the pathway bricks. Taking this last chance, I dashed across, and just in time. The bridge collapsed just as I'd managed to get off of it.

I looked up and yelled at the idiots on top of the workhouse "Oi! Look out below, or a warning of some sort would have been really nice, you twits!" Then I though for a moment. "Oh. Probably had their souls stolen by whatever beast has made its nest here. Trying to kill me, no doubt. I'll return the favor." I stepped into the workhouse, and saw several yellow eyes look at me. They just turned back to whatever was in front of them, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't ready to fight just yet.

I found an elevator nearby, and took it. Up to the top I went, and there was a fat man. Laughing, he spewed fire from his hand at me, and I sidestepped him. I stepped forward, and swung my claymore at him. He tried to sidestep, but did so right into my blade. Forcing him down, I stabbed into his back, forcing his armor to split so that I could kill him. As his soul, and the ones he's stolen flowed into me, I found the two miners who'd thrown the rocks at me. I stabbed one with my claymore, and the other tried to punch me. Before he could finish the wind-up, I'd sent my blade through his throat, sending his essence spattering on the rocks he'd intended to throw. Their souls felt weak, almost non-existent as they joined with mine. Back down again, and the miners there were glaring at me. They had become hostile toward me, and it was time to get hostile right back. I hefted my blade into a defensive stance, and prepared for a horde.

They came at me with picks, hammers and fists. A stray hammer caught me in the leg once, but instead of going down, I used my sword to re-balance, and crush the miners closest to me. Down they went, blow by blow. Soon, their corpses surrounded me. "Hmm." I muttered to myself. "I've not even left the first room, yet here we are." I pressed on, killing miner after miner, and fat men as well. I neared what seemed to be a doorway, but blocked by jars. The jars burst, and suddenly a pack of dogs was lunging at me. "Aw crap." I said, reaching for my dagger, and one-handing my claymore. Stabbing the dogs with my dagger was surprisingly difficult, but then again, I'd never been terribly dexterous. When they came near, I simply swung my sword, and caught two of them in the jaw. Vicious, yes, but they were attacking me.

Moving along, more miners, dogs and fat men were struck down on my way to the belly of the mine. I looked around for a moment. "Awful lot of spider web down here. I wonder why?" I wouldn't be wondering soon enough.


End file.
